Henagar man dies in tractor crash

A Henegar, Ala., man was killed Wednesday when his tractor crashed down a bank and threw him off, according to a news release.

DeKalb County Sheriff Jimmy Harris said Darrel Shankles, 70, was digging a ditch in his yard with a tractor-mounted backhoe when the accident occurred. A sanitation worker on the highway spotted Shankles lying next to the tractor and stopped. He called for emergency response about 5 p.m. CST but Shankles was dead at the scene, Harris said.

“Darrel was a well-respected member of our community,” Harris said. “He participated in our first Citizens Academy. He was a great supporter of law enforcement and a friend of this sheriff’s office. ... It’s just a terribly sad and unfortunate accident.”